The British Army’s values and standards are its strength – they encourage you to put your mates and the mission first. And, by asking you to treat people with respect, they make sure you are treated with respect too. Together they make sure that the British Army is a strong and effective team and a force for good, wherever it operates.

The British Army has six core values and three standards by which it measures it Officers and Soldiers. The British Army’s cores values are:

• Selfless Commitment: Soldiers are expected to put the needs of the mission, and their team, before their own. This is what makes the Army an effective team.
• Respect for Others: The Army believes in equal treatment and opportunity for everyone. Soldiers are expected to respect each other, victims of conflict, prisoners and civilians.
• Loyalty: Bringing soldiers together, loyalty means that soldiers will always be true to our country, the Army, their officers and each other.
• Integrity: This means that soldiers must always be honest and truthful, and put the needs of the team before their own.
• Discipline: A disciplined soldier will obey orders, even under difficult conditions, and act with imagination and resourcefulness.
• Courage: The physical courage to place yourself in danger and the moral courage to do what is right are equally important.

The British Army’s standards are:

• Be Lawful: Soldiers have to abide by the law of the United Kingdom as well as international law when they are on operations.
• Behave Appropriately: Everyone in the Army is expected to keep to certain standards. That’s why misbehaviour like racism, bullying and harassment is not tolerated anywhere in the Army.
• Be the Best: Soldiers are expected to do their jobs to the best of their ability. They should avoid excess alcohol use and misuse of drugs, and be in charge of their finances.

References

British Army (2008) Values and Standards of the British Army. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/v_s_of_the_british_army.pdf. [Accessed: 12 January, 2014].

Keller, J. (2014) Military Leadership and Leaders. ENDC Proceedings, Volume 19, pp.26-45. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.ksk.edu.ee/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/KVUOA_Toimetised_19_03_keller.pdf. [Accessed: 22 June, 2107].